Ben Affleck To Live On $1.50 Per Day For Charity

Ben Affleck is putting his money where his mouth is for charity.

The “Argo” star, who founded the Eastern Congo Initiative in 2010 (a U.S.-based advocacy and grant-making initiative that provides economic and social development opportunities for the people of Eastern Congo), has joined forces with Global Poverty Project’s Live Below challenge The Line to bring attention to extreme poverty.

For five days (April 29 – May 3), Ben – along with other celebrities, including Josh Groban, Debi Mazar, Sophia Bush and Tom Hiddleston – will live on just $1.50 per day.

“1.4 billion people live on less than $1.50 [per] day. I’m joining Live #BelowTheLine on behalf of @easterncongo. Will you?” Ben Tweeted this week.

According to Live Below The Line’s website, challenge participants can “share the cost of ingredients amongst a team, as long as no participant spends more than $1.50 a day or their total $7.50 budget.”

Additionally, food sourced directly from a participant’s garden may be consumed as long as the “price of production” is subtracted from the day’s $1.50 budget.

“Les Miserables” star Hugh Jackman participated in the challenge in 2011.

— Erin O’Sullivan